If women’s groups see Muslims wearing headscarves as an oppressed minority, it should be a reason to embrace them and understand why, not collude in widening one of the worst rifts within French society

American professor Amina Wadud argues that male interpretations of Islam have lead to wildly discriminating laws against women around the world – and the rise of extremist groups proves they need to be challenged

Memoirs about the suffering of women in Islamic states are being slated for supporting a patronising attitude towards those societies. So why didn't the same criticism apply to Frank McCourt or Dave Peltzer, asks Samira Ahmed

Sabbiyah Pervez left Ed Miliband's weekend meeting with Muslim women in Bradford early because she felt that her community's 'hidden voices' were being ignored. In the third post for the Guardian Northerner by women who were at the lunch, she speaks passionately for the ignored